Izumo No Iwai Jinja

Disappointing delay in vote reform February 23, 2012

The political parties will likely miss an important deadline in their efforts to reapportion Lower House seats. In March 2011, the Supreme Court ruled that the August 2009 Lower House election was held unconstitutionally because of a large disparity in the value of one vote between depopulated rural areas and populated urban areas. Under a relevant law, Satu […]

Ikea to open first Kyushu outlet February 23, 2012

Ikea Japan, the Japanese arm of Sweden's Ikea self-assembly furniture group, said Wednesday it will open a store in the city of Fukuoka on April 11, its first retail outlet in Kyushu. The sixth store to be set up in Japan will offer 9,500 items on its 30,000-sq.-meter floor space, according to Ikea Japan, based in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture.

Test faulty; no warp speed yet to disprove Einstein February 23, 2012

Researchers have found a flaw in the technical setup of an experiment that startled the science world last year by appearing to show particles traveling faster than light. The problem may have affected measurements that clocked subatomic neutrino particles breaking what Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein considered the ultimate speed barrier. […]

Rare earth recycling bill in works February 23, 2012

The government has drafted a bill requiring consumers to make efforts to recycle used electronic products containing rare earth and other metals essential in producing hybrid motor vehicles and precision electronics, official sources said Thursday. The government intends to secure the supply of rare earth, rare metal and precious metal resources through the […]

Researchers locate birthplace of eels February 23, 2012

Japanese researchers said Thursday they have located an area where "ma-anago" (real Japanese conger) lay their eggs, retrieving young fish 380 km south of Okinotorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean. The egg-laying site should be along a ridge at the bottom of the ocean about 100 km south of where the fish were found, based on the direction of the c […]

Izumo No Iwai Jinja

Posted on January 16, 2012 by dannycycle

An example of the many posts for shrines in and around Kumagaya

In the countryside of Kumagaya there are a number of shrines and historical points that are part of a course mapped out by the local government on roads with wooden posts directing passerby with the next destination. All are in Japanese and seem few and far between for a newcomer. I know many people use GPS to tell them where to go(I have a GPS tracker, but it doesn’t tell me where to go… yet.)but I feel a sense of accomplishment when I follow these posts and actually find something I’m looking for. On my last trip in Kumagaya I printed out nine maps at a scale of 1:8000 and still managed to get lost for part of the time. One of my destinations was Izumo No Iwai Jinja 出雲乃伊波神社. Here are a few pictures of the shrine along with a translation of the sign on the grounds.

: An example of the many posts for shrines in and around Kumagaya

: The main edifice

This shrine was previously called Kashima Jinja but was changed to Izumo No Iwai Jinja in Meiji 28. The enshrined deity is Take Mika Tsuchino Mikoto(*Herein referred to as Take). It has been enshrined together at a number of precincts including Hikawa Jinja, Yasaka Jinja, Takita Jinja, Inari Jinja, Tenman Jinja, Shinmei Jinja, Yama Jinja, and Fuji Asama Jinja. Take, in the Shinwa Era of Takamagahara (*As written in the Kojiki as the highest place of the gods) was singled out with a task of subjugating the land, but Futsu Nushi No Mikoto had stood up first at that time. Overflowing with confidence Take also aimed for this task and so the two gods worked together to accomplish this goal. Their unequaled bravery and ability to cooperate made a land with beautiful success. Also Wada (*field) across from the temple gate and Taiko bridge which crosses the river was once called Yakumo Bashi. Passing under the bridge many prayers were made for sick children to recover from Measles. Until the beginning of the Showa period many came “Hashika Mairi” to pray for the recovery of children with Measles. On festival days for the gods of the combined precincts (*the shrines stated above) especially that of the Yasaka festival on July 15th known from a long time ago locally as “Itai Emperor,” a mikoshi and the Taiko “Hibaribayashi” yatai has excitedly passed through the Itai ward since Meiji 4.